The elves, they live for thousand and thousands of years and yet they someday depart from this world. Immortality is a curse and the Nephilim were the cursed ones. The elves hated them for that curse. They saw it as a blessing and so... they waged war.

War engulfed the age of old. After many years the Nephilim managed to emerge victorious. The elves while defeated were not exterminated and were given another chance.

Since then only the elders remember who the Nephilim were. The mighty rulers of this world. With time, the younger races heard about these mighty warriors only in stories. Now they don't even know their name.

"We curse them for their power, but we thank them for their kindness."

The elders are but a few and were granted the curse of the Nephilims. They believed it will grant them the blessing they longed for. That was a lie they kept telling to themselves.

"Protect the young ones, they should never know about our fate."

The grand fortress city of Silacet, once the center of power is just a ruin. The Nehpilims vanished from this realm and those who were found... tortured and killed.

"Never will they rule again, this we all swear for that is what they wished."

"Death."

♦ ♦ ♦

The capital city was restless. After an elite knight was found dead, and as the rumors kept spreading across the city, everything began to be even more agitated. In response to this, the goverment officals gathered to discuss what should be done.

Inside, Cyrillus was waiting for the discussions to end. From the other side of the hallway, a knight and his subordinate were coming.

They both were wearing enhanced armor made from carbon steel. While it was not enchanted, it still was extremely durable and resilient. The man was tall with spikey blonde hair and green eyes. The girl had large twin drills, her eyes red and her skin as pale as the moon.

Cyrilus looked at them and bowed. He felt anxious.

"It is a pleasure to meet you lord Gawter. Excuse my rudeness, but who is the girl?"

"Ah, you must be that historian who fled. Don't worry about it, that woman told us everything . If you are in trouble, you can always call on us. As for the girl, she is my subordinate. Her name is-"

"My name is Lamia, pleased to make your acquaintance."

Suddenly, Cyrillus felt even more anxious.

"I-I-It is my pleasure!"

"Then I think the meetings should be over. Tell me, do you know what actually happened with that elite knight?"

"Well... There was a winged girl... and she killed him."

"That is even less than what the guards know... It is unfortunate that we lost Corax, but I need something else."

"If it helps, I heard that she killed him because he defiled a corpse."

"Hmmm. I do understand that one might be annoyed by this, but to kill for such a reason?"

The doors opened and from behind came a woman. She was the very same person that got Cyrilus out of prison.

"Y-Y-You!"

"Hoho, it seems I was right to get you out. Please tell Tarex and Cory to visit sometime. Oh and Lamia, take this."

She handed the girl a book and left.

"Who is that woman?"

"In the goverment, she is the most influential person. Nobody knows her name, nobody knows where she lives. It is truly hard to talk with her. If she wants you to do something you better do it. She is also the one who told us about you."

"Alright..."

"Lamia, what is that book? Oh, I see it's elven writing."

"It is something about the old war?"

"What old war? There was that one about five decades ago, but nothing else comes to mind."

"It goes like this: The war between the Elves and the Nehpilim lasted for years. It ended with the Nephilims as winners. The Elves never forgave them for what they did, but in time, it was as if nothing even happened. When the orc hordes tried to take over the realm, the Nephilims were nowhere to be found. The so called rulers of the world were now gone when everyone needed them. What they left behind is nothing one should search for. The tools they used were evil machines, abominations and soldiers that would never truly die."

"So there was a great war between the Elves, Orcs and these Nehpilims?"

Cyrilus was thinking and then he realized something. There was a scroll in the archives of Silacet. He saw something similar to this as well.

"If I am not mistaken, the Nehpilims were the ones who enslaved the Elves."

"There are also some paragraphs about weapons and technology they left behind."

"Well, tell us."

"It is a strange crossbow called Desolator, a crossbow capable of easily shooting down hundreds of soldiers . Also, there are some strange armors: Never should you fight the sentries of the Nehpilim, these cruel abominations are tortured souls sealed in unbreakable armors."

"So that's wha--... Well I think I'm going now."

"...Hmmm...?"

"Goodbye. May we meet again and drink some tea."

"Of course."

He left in a hurry. The lord seemed to let him go rather easy.

"Say, why did you let him go?"

"We are going to follow him. Maybe we find something interesting."

♦ ♦ ♦

Nearly a week had passed, and Cyrilus managed to reach the ruins. Everything was different though. The ammount of vegetation which ensared the city could barely be seen now. Animals and birds finally emerged as well. Some water roads appeared along the main paths as well.

"Oh my. This is fascinating."

"Cyrillus? CYRILLUS!!!"

Roisin saw the man and ran towards him like a bolt.

"Say, what happened in the capital?"

"It was... interesting,. I have to talk with Tarex."

From above, Cory descended behind Cyrilus. She made sure he couldn't hear nor see her.

"What do you want with my brother?"

"AH FUCK! Damn it, don't do that. My heart nearly stopped for a few seconds there."

"Say! What do you want with him?"

"I have some news from the city."

The three of them went inside the castle.

"Cory, when did you and Shepherd arrive?"

"A few hours ago at best."

"I see. Why though? You left before me."

"There were some problems along the road."

Images of her and Shepherd falling from bridges or in traps and barely managing to save him flashed before her eyes.

"Something wrong?"

"Nothing!"

Outside, Gawter and Lamia were wandering the city. It was rather peaceful compared to the noise of the capital.

"I think I found something from your book..."

"What do you mean?"

In front of them was a sentry. It was much taller than him and the difference in skill could be felt by only looking at it.

"Even the armor. Hey Lami, would you mind checking his power levels?"

"Sure, it's about... oh my. No, better not."

"I must know. What, do you want to fight it with me here?"

"Your rank is Archon. This armor has a rank of Serpent."

"What is a Serpent in ranking?"

"You remember that dragon we fought a while back, along with the ten elite knights. That dragon was a Calamity."

"So... Which is stronger?"

"Definitely these ones."

"What... You mean this thing is that much stronger than a dragon?"

"Yes. Also about the armor. I can't indentify the material, but it's enhanced . It also has enchantments for poison, magic and fire resistance. They are nearly imune to those."

"The only ones who could fight these guys would be the strange knights from the neighboring country. Ulric could also put them down, but I can't aprove his methods."

"It can't be helped. Lets see where he went."

"Time to go."

As they walked throught the ruins, the two of them saw the plaza and the archives as well. In the end, they reached the castle and went up the stairs. The walls were crumbled and full of moss. Further away, they found the throne room.

"It seems there is somebody else here. Lamia, keep your guard up."

As they aproached the figure became clear. A great horned beast sleeping soundly.

"What...? Who are you?"

Tarex was asleep, yet the two of them managed to make enough noise to wake him up.

"What, ugh more people in my city..."

He rose from his seat and looked at them. The moment he saw the girl, he fully woke up.

Tarex closed the gap between them in a few seconds.

"What! What are you doing!?"

He lifted the girl up and looked her in the eyes.

"Cute."

"What...?"

"Put her down!"

"I will not do that, thank you very much."

He put the girl on his shoulders then looked at Gawter.

"Now, say, what are you doing here?"

"We followed a man. Thought we might find some answers."

"You came for answers,but I'm afraid you might leave with more questions."

The girl pulled on one of his horns to make him pay attention.

"Excuse us for the intrusion, my name is Lamia and this is lord Gawter. We came from the capital. From what I've seen, you don't have enough power to live through a war. You should be careful with officials from the goverment."

"Oh, I've never wished for war in the first place. I really hate ending lives. If I have to, I will go to war, and believe it my lady... I have more than enough power to set this world ablaze."

"Even if you say that, all she's seen were those sentries. While they are indeed remarkable, even those can fall."

"Then, the the lady here should take a look at me and tell you how bad it would be to annoy me."

"You have quite a high opinion of yourself."

"Sure... This is strange. There is only a symbol with a lock in the shape of a skull. What rank is this?"

"What?"

"I've Never seen something like this."

"That is the symbol of the Binder."

They didn't get to end the conversation, as the others entered the room. Roisin was pestering Shepherd while Cyrilus was behind the looking around. Cory jumped in the middle of the room.

"BIG BROTHER! I have RETURNED!"

"Hi Cory."

She took a look at the girl on her brother's shoulders. It pissed her off a bit.

"Say, big bro... Who is she?"

"I dunno?"

"Then... WHY is she on your shoulder?! I should be there...."

"Because she is cute. I won't put her down."

"Oh really?"

She moved in swiftly and smashed Tarex in the ground.

"I'm sorry for my big bro. He does things like this sometimes, he he."

"It's alright. I don't really mind it, but I would prefer to be asked before he does that."

Tarex got up and went to her.

"Can I carry you again?"

Pointless to say, but he got smashed in the floor again.

"Alright, took care of that. My name is Cory. No need to introduce yourselves. I know who you are from a certain mercenary."

"Don't drag me into this, Cory!"

"In any case, you are an elf, right? What is with the red eyes? If I remember corectly, only a few of you have that color."

"I've been told that I'm a blood elf. What that is exactly, I don't know."

"Oh, I know. Never saw one but I have some knowledge about your kind."

"I think I know a few things about you, as well, Nephilim."

"Don't put me and my brother in the same category as the others."

"What do you mean?"

"Alright, story time. This is mostly for you, brother. Come closer, everyone, and let me tell you about the secret of the royal family."

Lamia wondered why the girl would simply tell their secrets. She wouldn't refuse such an opportunity, but something felt wrong.

They all gathered around her, intrigued by what that secret could be.

"Even if you can find some information in the ancient books, the truth is nowhere to be found. My brother is an experiment and they say deemed him a failure . They hated and resented him. While our mother was always trying to protect him, our father would beat her and us. He didn't care. Out of ten children, only me and two others truly loved Tarex and our mother. We always stood by their side. The others only saw him as a project."

Cyrillus stopped her for a bit.

"What does this have to do with our sitiuation?"

"You are involved with us now. So I believe you should know what you got into."

Gawter rose up and told her what was on his mind.

"I think I know where this is going. You want us to help, now that you told us your secrets. The question is, what do you want us to do?"

"Help us find our brothers and sisters... and kill them."

Everyone was a bit shocked at hearing this, but it seemed the conversation was going in that direction.

"So, they bullied your brother. Why do you want them dead?"

"They created wicked weapons and soldiers to throw this world in chaos. I just want to stay here and live in peace. That won't happen while theyre still alive. Tarex feels the same way."

Lamia went closer to the king.

"What did they exactly do to you?"

"Hey Cory. Stretch your wings."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

As she stretched her wings, everyone thought the same thing. Such beauty, with splendid feathers glowing bright.

"Now these are mine..."

"But... you don't have wings., right?"

Dark energy poured out from under his armor. The pressure affected everyone. They took the form of wings. If one were to compare the girl's wings to his, it was clear. Hers were like an angel's ,while he had the wings of a reaper.

"This is what they were trying to do. To turn me into a reaper."

"That can't be..." Cyrillus spent enogh time in the archives to understand the true danger of such a being.

Nobody but Cory and Cyrillus knew what he meant.

"Can we get a quick explanation?"

"A reaper is a being older than the Nephilims and the elves. They are few with the power to raze a city only by only a snap of the finger. They are horrifying creatures, indeed."

"So that means they were trying to create artifical reapers. Lord Gawter, I think I saw something about this in the book that woman gave me."

"What is it?"

"One of you brothers might live in a fortress. It's in the north of the elven capital city."

"Well, for now, I will leave it at that. It's only been a few days and people keep coming into my life. I don't like it, but it is nice not beign alone all the time. Let us have a party.I'm gonna tell the bandits to go and buy some food and drinks."

"What bandits?"

Gawter was a bit suspicious about that response.

"Oh, nothing."

♦ ♦ ♦

A few hours passed and the night came. Everyone was dancing around the fire. The bandits were there as well, while the children were running around, playing and keeping an eye on their kidnappers. Tarex was standing on the castle's balcony, looking at them. He removed his helmet. There were a few bottles of wine on the floor.

"This is some good wine. Eh, who's there?"

Lamia came and joined him.

"You seem rather displeased, your highness."

"It's... nothing..."

"I was wodnering what was hiding under that helmet. Is this a special ocassion?"

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"You could say that..."

The king had long white hair. The girl liked it quite a bit, but she wuldn't show it. He kept a bottle in his hand and stared at the sky. Lamia couldn't see his face, yet there was something attracting her. The clear night sky, the cold breeze and the rustle of the forest were truly hypnotizing.

The king put the bottle on the balcony's railing and sighted.

"Tell me... Have you ever killed someone?"

"No, I have fought quite a lot, but I've never killed someone."

"Look at this helmet. It's stained with the blood of countless lives. I can't bear so many sins."

She got closer to him. He turned to her and looked at the sad look the girl had.

"You know your majesty, we all have our problems. If sharing them with me will ease your pain, then I will listen."

He hugged her warmly. For once, he felt secure. For a moment, he had no worries. It was pleasant and, for some reason, nostalgic.

"I'm sorry, and thank you Lamia. I don't know why I did it. I let my emotions control me for a bit... he he..."

"There is no problem."

"Also... Call me Tarex. Hearing your majesty so many times feels awkward."

"Alright you-... Tarex."

♦ ♦ ♦

Hours passed, and everyone was asleep. Tarex put his helmet on and went to the throne room. It was dark. Insects were crawling around and the torches were snuffed out.

As he walked along the seemingly endless hallway, strange shapes appeared on the floor, on the walls, even on the ceiling. They started to whisper.

"...Accursed king..."

He ignored them.

"...Murderer..."

He kept walking. They were not there.

"...Cursed child..."

He felt as though they knew something, but he knew they weren't there.

"...Traitor...Horror..."

He was sitting now on the throne, shadows surrounding him, reminding him of the past. They would not stop. They kept telling everything he did wrong. They hated him, even thoughthey did not exist.

"You are not real... not real...not real...not real...."

"...We are... For we are you..."

They all took the shape of the king.

"We are you... As you are us. Accept us... Free us..."

"Never! I won't accept it."

The shadows looked toward the entrance. They saw Lamia, yet she couldn't see them. However the voices could still be heard.

"Accursed one... We shall never leave...We will always be there...Vengeful one..."

He didn't know what to do anymore. Tarex could only remember the past and all the sorrow he brought. The terror and death, the thoughts wouldn't fade.

"Tarex...?"

When he heard the girls voice he snapped out of it.

"Yes! Oh, what is it Lamia?"

"Who were those?"

"They... They were nothing to be concerned about. Please leave and let me rest."

"As you wish."

The girl went outside, feeling thousands of daggers piercing her heart as she left the king alone. When she looked at him, he was a total wreck, and hoped she might comfort him! Alas she couldn't do it.

♦ ♦ ♦

The sun rose up and the birds started to chirp. Everyone was waking up.

"Ey Roisin, bring me some water..."

"Get it yourself, you lazy bum, I wanna sleep more."

"Gowter, bring me some water..."

"Arghh... My head hurts..."

"Cyrillus!"

Cyrillus drank too much. He was out for the count.

"Ahhh, alright. I'm going alone."

Suddenly a bucket of water was poured on him.

"HEY!"

Tarex was on the balcony. He laughed a bit.

"What is it? I heard you wanted some water. Did you not?"

"I wanted to DRINK some water!"

"Not my problem."

"Only if you weren't that strong."

"Hoho, you want another duel'?"

"No thanks..."

"By the way Shepherd, did you see Cory anywhere?"

"Not really, she drank with us last night, then, ugh... I can't remember."

"Tell the others to wake up and wash themselves. You guys are starting to stink..."

"HEY!"

He sniffed himself a bit. The stench truly was horrible.

"Alright, this time I won't complain."

"The sentries repaired the baths. You can go right now."

"Well, gotta wake these guys..."

"Good luck."

♦ ♦ ♦

It was sunny and, for some reason, people kept coming to these ruins. Of course, the ones Tarex knew about were the kids he saved, the bandits which serve him now and the funny trio. Now others are also taking interest in this old ruined city. Poor people, fugitives, traitors and criminals all come here to find refuge.

Tarex was near the plaza when he saw people selling different items. The caravans were full of weapons, exotic foods, books and diverse tools. There were quite a few around trying to sell whatever they had as well, mostly vegetable and fruits.

Life was starting to come back in Silacet, but it wasn't truly a good thing, He didn't have the resources to keep everyone safe or fed.

A bit further ahead was the girl he saw with the sentry captain.

"Hey, tell me, what is this?"

She didn't respond to him.

"Alright, I will have you carry out some errands for me."

"But-"

"Don't want to hear it. I saved you, so at least help me out a bit. I will call the captain and send him with you to the capital. Here, have some money. Find the traders and ask them to visit. If you do it, I will give you something good."

"Alright..."

Tarex went to find the captain of the sentries and then sent the two of them off.

"Now, I wonder where Lamia is... and Gawter."

The road through the forest was hard to traverse for most people trying to go through it. However, that wasn't a problem for a sentry. The little girl was falling behind though. The captain noticed that , so he took her on top his shoulders.

It was quiet. The girl was silent as well.

"Uhm... Do you like your king?"

The sentry stopped for a bit, then he resumed his walking.

"Yes."

It was quite curious for him to have second thoughts about his master.

"Do you know what to do?"

He nodded.

"Why don't you speak?"

"...."

"It's alright. I won't speak anymore if it bothers you."

"No..."

"Should I speak then?"

"Yes..."

The girl kept talking with the captain about everything that happened to her. Without even realizing it, they reached the capital.

"Hey, can you put me down now?"

"Yes..."

"Thanks. I am going to find these people the king spoke about."

"Yes..."

The girl left while the sentry remained under a tree outside the city's walls.

A young man was waiting outside the trading guild hall. He saw the little girl and waved his hand. She walked up to him.

"Hey, what are you doing alone like that? There are many bad people around, especially after we lost one of the elites."

"Who?"

"You don't know who the elites are?"

"No..."

"Let me tell you about them. First, let's go inside."

There were many people. Some were drinking, others were moving crates around. It was noisy, but everyone seemed to be nice.

"Hey, are your parents around this part of the city?"

"My parents aren't here."

"Oh, so where are they?"

"I don't know."

He understood what that meant. Others heard it as well.

"You can stay here if you want."

A large man came to them.

"It is as he says. You are welcome to stay here, kid."

"No thanks. I have to find traders."

Everyone started to laugh.

"Hey girl. Do you know what a trader is?"

"No..."

"Well, this is the trader's guild. You found them. So, what brings you here?"

"The king said to give you this and tell you come visit his city."

The man took the bag in order to check what was inside. When he opened it, he was left stunned for quite a while. Inside, there were five platinum coins. When the others saw them, they realized that something big was happening. At least that's what they thought.

"...Who gave you this money?"

"A man. He says he's the king of Silacet. He always wears a helmet with huuuuge horns."

They didn't know what to think about this.

"Say, what does the king want?"

"He just said to find traders."

"Unfortunately, we can't do much. There are some problems at the moment. Take the money back and tell your king we can't really help with anything yet."

"But..."

"I'm sorry, kid. If you want, we can find someone to get you back."

Some rather peculiar individuals came in through the door. They had enhanced weapons and armor.

"Do you have the money for this month?"

"Give us one more week!"

"You had your time, guys. Can't really do much about it... What's with the kid?"

"Nothing. We will pay you. Girl, please do us a favor and give one of these coins. We will repay you as soon as we can, we promise."

"Sure, he has lots of them anyway."

The one in front saw the money and realized the girl might prove to be more valuable.

"We will absolve you of your debt if you give us that girl."

"No, I can't... I will not do something like that! I have a family as well, you know. How do you think I would feel if I let this girl die? You will only get to her over my dead body."

"That can be arranged, old man."

The six of them drew their swords. They kept advancing.

"Captain!"

They felt a strange thing behind. One of them looked, only to be kicked to the other side of the room.

"What is this?"

The captain stood there tall as a tree and strong as a mountain. That's how they saw him, at least. An armored monster, standing in front of them.

"There are six of us. It ain't like you can beat all of us."

"...Never... Touch.... My... Child...."

He raised his shield and stomped one of them in the floor. He threw the spear imapling the one stucked in the wall. The four remaining men took defensive positions.

One of them jumped on his back while the other two tried to stab him. It seemed like it worked.

"Ha ha. Told you pal, you can't fight six people."

They took a closer look and started to tremble. The only thing they stabbed was air, the armor was emptry and not even dented.

"Wh-What are you?"

He threw the one on his back over the other two assailants. Then he got his shield and went after them.

They tried to attack again, but that same thing wouldn't work two times.

The one who tried to attack him from behind got his neck broken.

The other two stabbed him again.

He raised his mighty shield and made the two of them one with the ground blood being spilled all over the place.

"We will leave you alone, please just let me live!"

The sentry stood in front of him. silently without moving an inch slowly stretching his hand towards him.

"Die..."

He grasped his head and crushed it.

For a few minutes everything was silent yet that didn't last long.

"Captain!"

"Yes..."

"I found the traders. Can I go outside and play a bit?"

"..."

"Thank you captain."

The traders were left in shock after the guesome display. After a strong earthquake of course there is an anftershok. Another man came inside. He had a white armor as shining as the captain's.

"What happened here?"

The blood was dripping from the captains armor. It was pretty clear what happened. The man which entered had short red hair and the eyes were red as well. He was one of the top elites in the capital.

"Who are you warrior?"

"..."

"I see, the silent type. From the looks of it I have to take into custody, please refrain from making me use force."

"..."

"You are a bit creepy, but nevertheless come."

The captain did not move. He waited for a minute then went to pick up his shield and spear.

"I see you wish to fight."

"...No..."

"Then come with me and leave your weapons."

"..."

"This is geting nowhere."

Energy chains erupted from the ground crawling up and binding the sentry. He could barely move.

"Now, I shall execute you personaly."

With a single slash he ' cut ' the captains head.

"I think we are done here. That was easyer than I expected."

Yet he was not dead. The sentry took his helmet and put it back on.

"You should have stayed down."

The man jumped and smashed the sentry into the floor. It was different from the other time. For once he was actually damaged... Only if that would be enough to keep him down.

"It seems you can handle youself. Let's go outside."

He looked at the girl then back at the man. He decided that was for the best.

As soon as he stepped outside the man started to slash him multiple times. Each strike was strong and precise. His opponent couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

Yet he would not falter, each hit was blocked with his shield.

During all of the attacks he found a opening and threw the spear with the hope to pierce him.

"That was a good strike, too bad you have no weapons now."

While he was rambling the captain hit the man with the shield into a wall.

"Ah, alright it seems I can't brag. Tell me your name warrior."

The captain stood silent for a moment, then he spoke.

"... Aeneas..."

"My name is Sangrey, let us have an epic battle."

"..."

They clashed again. Hours passed and they kept exchanging blows yet the only one who felt tired was Sangrey.

"I must tell you, it was quite enjoyable. Now let us finish this."

The both entered offensive stances. They lashed out at each other with one single strong blow.

In the end, Sangrey was the one who emerged victorious. He huffed and puffed as he dropped down.

"Damn, that was hard. Lady luck is with me today, if only he wouldn't have missed that last blow... Too bad for him."

"Captain... Wake up captain!"

"Girl, that thing won't respond too soon."

The captain tried to get up. He used all his energy to rise.

"You should know when to quit."

Sangrey binded him again with the energy chains.

"Now, I have to call Ulric. You were such a pain Aeneas I'll give you that."

"Leave him alone!"

"Out of my face brat!"

He slapped the girl and took away the captain.

"Hey kid, come inside. We will take care of ya until someone comes to pick you up."

"But... the captain...."

"We can't do much now."

She started to cry while entering the guild hall.

♦ ♦ ♦

A few days later nearly everyone left Silacet. Roisin and Shepherd went back to the capital. Gawter and Lamia went with Cory to check the elven capital and its surroundings.

The only one who remained with Tarex was Cyrillus.

"It is rather quiet your majesty."

"Yeah..."

"What are you going to do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well the city and its sorry state are quite a problem. There are people that begin to live here. Don't you think you should start rebuilding and improving well... everything?"

"I sent that girl to bring some traders. I do agree with you, this was a great city. It makes me sick to see it as this."

"Shouldn't the kid be here already?"

"Yeah something might have gone wrong. I will take Leonidas and find them, but there is something bothering me."

"What exactly?"

"The door behind the throne has opened. It was always closed. It pisses me off for some reason. Also I want to see what is inside."

"I'll bring some torches and we can check out."

"No, I will take care of that problem."

Tarex created a ball of light for him and Cyrillus which followed them around.

"This is rather useful."

"Yeah and it's one of the most basic spells."

"Let's go then."

They went through the door. As they descended strange noises came from further away.

"How much time has passed since the creation?"

"Why would you ask such a thing your majesty?"

"It feels like it was only a hundred years ago. The world is still beautiful and I begin to wonder where will it reach in the next thousand of years."

"It will probably be very different."

"I guess... There is something ahead."

After they reached the bottom in front of them was an underground city.

"Now this is interesting. What is this place exactly?"

"I have no idea and this was literally behind me all this time."

"There is a red light in the center!"

"Well, lets check it out."

For Cyrillus this was a terrifying experience while Tarex was unfazed. The underground was swallowed by darkness. If they wouldn't have light who knows what creatures could emerge.

"Oooh!"

"Wh-What?"

They reached to the read light. It was like a fountain filled with red energy.

"This is the technology of the ancients!"

"Are there people older than your kind?!"

"Yeah, our machines, weapons and armors are based on theirs. This one is an original."

"What does it do?"

"Hmmm, there are some moving stoneplates. Oh, I see."

He moved around the plates and pressed them.

From the fountain emerged the shape of a man. Slowly it took the form of a sentry and was placed near them.

"Wha-....?"

"So this is how we got the sentries. The energy, these are souls. It is most fascinating!"

"Your majesty?"

Multiple zones began to turn red from the energy. The darkness from the underground was now filled with the red light of tormented souls.

"I shall free them all."

"I don't think you should do that Tarex!"

"You will understand why this is necessary later. For now, it is my duty to release them all."

A few hours pass and the two of them returned to the surface.

"That was... I don't even know what that was."

"Now we are going in the capital. I need those traders. Leonidas come!"

From the throne rooms entrance a much bigger sentry came. The armor had many inscriptions on it and was decorated with red jewels.

"Y-Your majesty?"

"This is my most trusted general. Leonidas, he has enough power to challange even me. I doubt he would win, but he is quite formidable."

"I see..."

"Well it's time to move. Onward thorugh the forest!"

♦ ♦ ♦

The capital city Molk is the center of commerce. The goverment is the one which rules over the people, that being only on the surface. In the end every decision taken by the goverment must be accepted by the king.

The castle is well mantained. With the flags on top of every tower and expensive carpets along every hallway. The castle itself is made of quartz which is daily cleaned by the servants.

The elite knights reside here, close to the royal family. Along them are of course many other soldiers and guards. The soldiers mostly keep the people safe while the guards have accest to almost every part of the castle.

The elite knights were many. Only a few of them were allowed to stay near the royal family and give them advice. The road to reach the rank of elite was hard yet rewarding.

"Knight Sangrey, bring here that girl and the thing you fought."

"As you command your majesty."

The kings word was final. Nobody could deny him that was how it worked. By his side was always standing the strongest among the elites, Ulric. He was old and on the surface seemed to look as a good man. His hair was short and grey. On his head was a silver circlet with purple jewels and runes.

"Tell me Ulric, if Sangrey had problems dealing with that foe should we be cautios?"

Ulric was a massive man. He always had a great claymore with him.

"If he could defeat him there is no problem. In the end he is only the fifth elite."

"Yes, yes you are right."

The doors opened and before the king was brought the little girl and the chained armor. The armor was standing stil while the girl was held by Sangrey.

"There is an evil aura coming from that thing."

"His name is Aeneas!"

Most of the people were very offended as the girl dared to adress the king in such a manner. She talked to him like he was a nobody. Such a thing couldn't be allowed.

"Girl know your place when you speak with a king."

"He's not the king! The king is big and strong not an old geezer."

Ulric was ready to kill the girl, but the king stopped him. He wished to know more about that person she called king.

"She is but a child. Even if her words are harsh we can't blame her."

"Yes your majesty."

"Tell me kid, who is this king you talk about?"

In the next moment a strong presure could be felt from the entrance. Every knight in the room was prepared to attack. Ulric prepared himself as well. The sheer amount of power made a few people faint.

The doors opened and from them a massive man entered. The silver armor with inscriptions and jewels all over it. The red crest on his helmet with the round shield and spear. It was truly imposing and made even Ulric shiver.

"Who are you and who gave you permision to enter?"

Ulric shouted yet the man remained composed. He didn't flinch even a bit and moved onward. Every step he made cracked the floor a little. The knights were afraid to aproach him but they didn't flee either. If they were showing any sign of fear who knows what the man would have done.

"Permision...? Don't make me laugh insect. I am Leonidas, general of the Nephilim armies! There is ONE man which I follow. You call yourself a knight, you call yourself a king... YOU ARE JUST PESTS! To even try to compare yourself with the ones I served."

Nobody knew how to react to such words. He was beyond rude to everyone in the room. To call a king and his knights pests was an affront which couldn't be forgiven.

"I never heard of one such as you. Ulric if you may, show this man the way to the dungeons."

"Yes your highness."

His fur cape was sliding on the floor. His enhanced steel armor kept making noises as he moved onward. Everything was on purpose to make his opponent understand he shouldn't be taken lightly.

Ulric grabed his claymore and stood before Leonidas. He was a tall person, but the one who stood before him was even bigger. Even so there was no hesitation in his eyes.

"This way sir Leonidas."

The look Leonidas gave him made Ulric understand... Prepare yourself. Not a second passed and he was sent flying through the ceilling.

"Pathetic welps."

The general looked at the 'prisoners'.

"Girl! Come!"

"Yes..."

"Aeneas, release yourself you are making a fool of yourself!"

"...Yes..."

The captain broke the chains and went to the generals side.

"We are leaving now, the king awaits your reports!"

After a few minutes Ulric returned. Nobody understood what happened but they felt more than insulted. Such a thing could be considered an invitation to war. The question was who they were? Who were they going to fight against?

"Find them, and kill them."

"Even the girl?"

"Yes even that brat."

"Understood your majesty."

"To come into my castle. To make a fool of me and my knights. What is this absurdity... and you Ulric! How could you be defeated so easily? You should be the strongest!"

"That man... That thing is more than I can handle alone. If you allow me to take the five elites we might bring him down."

"While I want that bastard dead I can not send the five of you. I would be left naked in the face of danger."

"Then we can't do much at the moment."

"This is infuriating."

♦ ♦ ♦

The generals along with the captain and the kid got away from the castle. It was surprising they weren't followed by anyone. The three of them returned to the trading guild where Tarex awaited them.

It was silent inside. When the doors opened it seemed even more so. Tarex was wating at a table talking with the guild masters.

"It seems he recovered my surbordinate and... I'm not sure what that girl really is to me."

"Hey!"

"What?"

"Don't adress his majesty with such insolence you brat!"

"Leonidas leave her. Can't make a child listen to you like that."

The girl ran to the king and sticked her tongue out at Leonidas."

"Why you-..."

"Anyway, we are going back home. As for what we discussed I shall give you protection. Just make sure you can bring all the materials. We might even establish a trading route once we finish rebuilding."

"Yes your highness."

"Also do you know any good blacksmiths and architects?"

"There are quite a few but not in this zone. If I were to recommend the best are living near the castle. You can ask around people there."

"Thanks for your help."

"No no no, we thank you for such generous offers."

"Alright guys time to go. I want to take a nap though. Lets find an inn."

"As you wish your highness. I saw one on the way from the castle. If you may, follow me."

"Well then, lead the way."

♦ ♦ ♦

The elven capital was a beautiful place surrounded by forests. In a way they always tried to rise to the Nephilims level and copy them in many aspects. Through time it became their own style as everyone forgot about the Nephilims.

The elves are ruled by a council of elders. They are as old as the King of Silacet yet not as strong.

Here, Cory came with Gawter and Lamia. The three of them were to invastigate the place where Lysander should be hiding.

"So this is where you came from Lamia."

"Not really, my home is in another part of the city. Only the high elves reside here."

"Hey girls, are you hungry?"

"Why do you ask lord Gawter?"

"They were selling some sweets there. I really want some...."

"I do want something. Cory do you wish anything?"

"Nah I'm good."

Gawter bought two pies. They kept walking around the beautiful streets. It was peaceful and lively.

"Ah this is so nostalgic."

"Why is that Cory?"

"It's nearly the same as it was in Silacet before. They don't sing as much but hey it's still more than what we have there now."

"You seem sad."

"I am a little bit."

Further ahead they saw him. The same armor as Tarex. Yet it was much whiter though and seemed much friendlier.

"What should we do?"

"We know that he is here at least. Let's return to his majesty and tell him the rumors were true... Cory what are you doing?"

The girl unsheated her scimitars and took off.

"Hello BIG BROTHER!"

Lysander looked up and was surprised by his sister. He managed to dodge her attack just in time.

"Oh, it's you sister. Now why would you attack me?"

"To put an end to your so called experiments."

"Oh... Ohohohohoho, it seems you know about it then. Too bad father isn't alive anymore."

He unsheated his rapier and preapred himself for the fight.

"You know, we don't have to fight sister."

"You think I will let you after all you did? All you did to our brother, to our MOTHER?"

He bit his tongue as she uttered those words.

"Oh spare me, Tarex and mother were morons. She was too kind and he trusted that god will save him someday. Two fools, and it seems you are the third. She meant nothing to me... NOTHING.... nothing..."

The girl jumped and started to spin. In the moment she reached him Lysander dashed behind her.

"Sister you are no match for one such as me."

She turned and tried to stike him again.

"Please, just leave."

She tried to hit him again. This time he parried her attack and struck her back.

"Maybe we shall play again, but another time. Now please... leave."

He got close to his sister and whispered in her ear.

"We are watched, get Tarex here and I will tell you everything."

While Cory was trying to recover from the blow Gawter and Lamia came to help her. Lysander left before they could keep following him.

"Lets go and tell him what happened."

"I...I don't get it."

"Girls, we might have some problems."

The elven knights were coming. They were tall but slim, all of them wielding curved swords and giant bows.

"We shall take you in our custody for attacking a representative of the high council."

"What do we do now Cory? We can't move as we might start a war between the elves and humans."

She stretched her wings and started to fly away.

"I am the one who did it you pointy ears. If you want me you need to do better than that."

Everyone started to follow the girl and left Gawter and Cory alone.

"Well she gave us an opening. We are going to the capital."

"What about Tarex?"

"It dosen't matter we have to make sure we don't start a war."

"I understand."

They left the elven capital and moved as fast as they could towards Molk.